The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a resolution instructing the Legal Draftsman to prepare an amendment to the Water Resources Board Act No. 29 of 1964, in a move that will for the first time give the state meaningful powers to regulate private groundwater extraction.
The proposal, submitted by the Minister of Environment, notes that “the need has been identified to amend the Water Resources Board Act, No. 29 of 1964, so as to expand the mandate of the Water Resources Board to effectively regulate activities such as the misuse and excessive extraction of groundwater,” The Island reported.
The expanded mandate will cover three specific concerns: misuse of groundwater, excessive extraction from aquifers, and surface water generated from groundwater sources. Under the 1964 law, the Water Resources Board’s authority over private boreholes and agricultural wells has been limited, leaving groundwater largely unregulated even as Sri Lanka’s urban footprint has pushed outward and water-intensive industries have expanded.
The draft bill will require Attorney General clearance before being tabled in Parliament for debate and passage.
The timing of the amendment reflects mounting water stress across the country. The government is already grappling with dry-season cuts in Homagama and other Colombo suburbs, and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board has kept water tariffs frozen until July while consumption pressures rise. A separate plumbing approval requirement for new housing is also being rolled out to reduce waste in the piped network.
The Island’s report did not specify the enforcement mechanisms the amended law will introduce, or whether the Water Resources Board will be empowered to impose fines, require permits for new wells, or order the closure of illegal extraction sites. Those details are expected to emerge when the draft bill is gazetted.
